In over a decade of working together, Zendaya and Law Roach built a reputation as one of fashion’s most iconic duos.
Roach is the genius behind Zendaya’s most memorable looks, including her majestic looks at the 2019 Emmys and that year’s Met Gala, which “The Wiz” and “Cinderella” inspired, respectively. So, when the celebrity stylist announced his retirement last week in a now-deleted Instagram post amid rumors of a feud with his most loyal client, the internet eagerly awaited the “Euphoria” star’s reaction.
During an appearance on Emily Ratajkowski’s podcast “High Low,” Roach admitted that Zendaya learned about his retirement along with the rest of the world on Instagram.
“She called, and she said, ‘Girl, I thought we make big decisions together,’” said Roach. “Of course, she supported me. She’s like, ‘Do you need me to send you on a vacation?’ Like, tell me what you’re going through, and I talked to her about just being unhappy and being unhappy for a really long time and still grieving the death of my nephew. So, we had that talk, and she was like, ‘Whatever you need, whatever you need.’”
The stylist also addressed the rampant rumors surrounding his retirement. Following his announcement, many speculated that Roach’s decision stemmed from not receiving his customary front-row seat next to Zendaya at the Louis Vuitton show during Paris Fashion Week. Caught on a now-viral video, the awkward interaction caused many to assume there was tension between the two. However, since his announcement, the stylist has repeatedly clarified that the confusion stemmed from the chaos of arriving late to the show.
“The internet is really cruel.” Roach told Ratajkowski. “People started to blame [Zendaya] for my retirement, and that wasn’t fair to her. The things they were saying, of course, [aren’t] true. So, then it spilled over to my suffering. She started to suffer too. And I didn’t think that was fair because she has always protected me in this industry and vice versa.”
With an 11-year relationship, Roach explains that the actress’ “core” team consisted of himself, her assistant Darnell, and her niece. As Roach has previously maintained, the duo’s bond transcends the traditional stylist-client relationship, mirroring more of a sibling dynamic. In fact, Roach shared in a series of tweets that he and Zendaya, who he calls “Z,” are “forever.”
“In the beginning of our relationship, we made a vow to each other that we would do everything we possibly could to elevate each other,” Roach said. “It’s so funny ’cause we call ourselves ‘Big ideas, small detail.’ So, I’m the big idea.”
Continued Roach, “Like I live in this fantasy world, and I bring her these things, and she pulls it together, and then my job is to create this narrative and tell her what it is and who this girl is as she goes on the carpet. And she just becomes that.”
TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. TheGrio’s Black Podcast Network is free too. Download theGrio mobile apps today! Listen to ‘Writing Black‘ with Maiysha Kai.